Coupon Organizer

     After searching online for methods of organizing coupons (google it, there are lots), I went to the Dollar Tree and figured out my own system from what they had available. It is working for me so far. Here are some pictures. (Having trouble with pics right now, will post them later)
      I am using a weekly planner (academic, so it goes through 2010) to write down weekly specials at local stores. Then I paperclip store coupons to the pages. I also write down any money related tasks for the week and coupons or specials that will expire. I use the days to menu plan and write out my grocery/shopping lists. This is working for me so far. The bonus is that after I’ve been using it for a while, I will be able to track produce price trends for next year.
      I was able to get adorable mini file folders for my coupon box and I labeled them all. There are a lot of lists online for categories to sort coupons into. I found that a lot of them didn’t apply to me, so I made my own based on what I buy/use. I’ve included a list in case it will be helpful for you. I’d love to hear from others as to how you organize your coups.
     I made a separate mini organizer for restaurant coupons. This way I can take that with us or into a restaurant without bringing my whole big filing box. I organized these into 5 sections (that’s how many slots the plastic organizer has): Fast Food, America, Desserts/Beverages, Mexican/Asian and Italian/Pizza. In retrospect, I should have done a fine dining slot, but then again we don’t “fine dine” that much around here.
     I got a small notebook with sections to make a price book. I am just getting started on that. My plan (after reading suggestions online) is to visit some of the stores that have the lowest prices and record their prices (breaking the price down into weight units). Then I will record lowest sale prices I have seen at other stores. I will add to this as I go along. Eventually, I would love to have a PDA with all of this information at my fingertips in spreadsheet form. Maybe my blog should be called The Frugal Geek.
     Dollar Tree had these great soft sided lunch box with a zipper top that is the perfect size to hold ALLof my coupon organizing equipment. I can even fit my entertainment book in the box when I need to. I added a calculator, small pair of scissors, pen and paper clips for a finished organizer. I made it about a week ago and have been using it daily since. I know I will have to keep up with it or I might lose track of deals, but overall I think it’s going to work great for me.

Categories in the Coupon Box

Note: I put coupons in each file by expiration date, those expiring soon in the front. As I plan my weekly shopping, I look in the file for that item, ie pasta, to see if I have a coupon for it.
Front Section
• Gift Certificates
• Affinity/Loyalty/Membership Cards (ones that I use often are on my key chain or purse)
• Rebates
• Receipts
Grocery Section
• Baking
• Beverages
• Breads/Grains
• Canned/Jarred Goods
• Cereal
• Condiments/Spices
• Dairy
• Desserts
• Frozen Foods
• Meat/Poultry/Fish
• Nutrition Bars/Powder
• Pasta/Pasta Sauces
• Prepared Foods
• Produce
• Snacks
Non-Grocery Section
• Auto/Tools
• Batteries
• Beauty
• Books/Gifts
• Cleaning Supplies
• Clothing/Shoes/Accessories
• Décor/Home
• Entertainment/Recreation
• Feminine Hygiene
• Household Goods
• Outdoor
• Paper Products
• Party Supplies
• Personal Hygiene/Bathroom
• Photo
• Prescriptions/Medical
• Professional Services
• Technology
• Travel
• Vitamins/Health/Fitness